Director of Visual & Performing Arts

Summary

Lake Highland Preparatory School seeks a Director of Visual & Performing Arts to begin July 1, 2025. Rooted in the mission and vision of Lake Highland Prep, the Director of Visual and Performing Arts is responsible for leading and overseeing the development, implementation, and growth of the school’s visual and performing arts programs. The Director fosters a culture of collaboration, creativity, academic excellence, personal growth, and community spirit for prekindergarten through 12th-grade students. The role includes providing strategic leadership, managing arts facilities, overseeing the arts faculty and staff, nurturing a positive and inclusive culture, and ensuring that arts programs integrate into the school’s academic and character development goals. 

This search is being facilitated by Carney, Sandoe, & Associates. Please apply directly through them using the information in the "To Apply" section of this posting.

Opportunities and Challenges 

The new Director of Visual and Performing Arts will join Lake Highland Prep at a time of great opportunity for the arts program. With the recent launch of the School’s new ambitious strategic plan, the next Director of Visual & Performing Arts will work within a dynamic, evolving leadership team to realize the bold aspirations in that plan. Looking forward to undertaking the third major campus development project in a decade, LHP will realize a campus master plan consolidating its arts program into a dedicated Arts District on campus. These facilities will include the existing state-of-the-art Harriet Coleman Center for the Arts (HCCA), as well as newly designed and purpose-built spaces for Orchestra, Band, and Chorus. The new Director of Visual and Performing Arts will play a pivotal leadership role in the development and launch of the Arts District and the continued excellence and growth of the program that the District will facilitate. 

The Director of Visual and Performing Arts will… 

• Provide vision, inspiration, and leadership to enhance the impact of the visual and performing arts at Lake Highland. The new Director will be an exemplary arts educator and program manager, with a clear vision and ability to execute stewardship and enhancement of a premier PreK-12 arts program. While fostering a sense of pride in the many offerings and accomplishments of the arts at LHP, the Director will be a forward-thinking champion for the role of the arts in whole-child education and the future potential of the program. The Director will partner with the senior administrative team in contributing to the design of the Arts District, including review of plans for construction and infrastructure, management of transition into new spaces, and creative scheduling and space utilization to maximize the District’s potential.
• Advocate for the arts as an integral part of a Lake Highland education. Reporting to the Associate Head of School, the Director will join a highly collaborative and integrated leadership team overseeing the academic and extracurricular programs across the PreK-12 spectrum. As the leader of the Visual and Performing Arts, the new Director will have a keen ability to balance advocacy for the arts program and a commitment to the holistic mission of the school. By being an inclusive listener and thinker, the Director will have the savvy and interpersonal skills to navigate multiple institutional priorities and perspectives to find solutions in the best interest of the arts program and the school as a whole. By leveraging the support of the active parent Arts League, the Director will ensure the profile of the program reflects the high caliber of talent development and performance at Lake Highland. 
• Effectively manage a complex portfolio of personnel, physical plant, and budgetary resources to maximize the potential of LHP Arts. The Director will be responsible for recruiting, developing, and retaining the highest quality teachers across programs and serve as a pedagogical leader for the best practices in arts education. This work will require efficient resource and budget management, with a focus on nurturing and developing faculty, maximizing the unique opportunities of a flexible workforce that includes both full- and part-time teachers, instructors, and production team members. The Director will create systems and processes for communication about the use of arts facilities to maximize their utility to the entire school without compromising arts’ access, and oversee the management of equipment, instruments, and technology. 
• Elevate the profile of LHP Arts by bringing the campus to the vibrant local arts community and the local arts community to the campus. Orlando is uniquely bursting with arts and entertainment, including the recently opened Dr. Philips Center for the Performing Arts, The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, and The Company Ballet, not to mention a host of musical and theatrical talent associated with Disney and other theme parks. In this context, Lake Highland is brilliantly positioned to leverage the local arts scene to elevate LHP Arts. The Director will seek to establish relationships and partnerships with local arts resources to enhance arts education at the school by showcasing students and their talents off-campus, and by bringing a diverse array of working artists to campus as performers, mentors, and role models. The Director will work in close partnership with the school’s Admissions, Advancement, and Marketing & Communications teams to effectively market the program’s many remarkable achievements and to tell the story of LHP Arts.

Qualifications and Personal Attributes 

As the leader for the arts, the Director will be a strong advocate for the role of the arts at the Lake Highland Prep and in students’ lives. Competitive candidates will bring passion and energy for the arts and a commitment to collaboration with community members across the school. The strongest candidates will possess many of the following qualifications: 

• Deep appreciation for Lake Highland Prep’s mission and history; 
• Vision for the continued and future excellence of LHP’s arts program across the PreK-12 spectrum and the tactical and interpersonal skills necessary to bring that vision to fruition; 
• Understanding of the mindset, curriculum, and pedagogy of multiple disciplines within visual and performing arts; 
• Creative, communicative, student-centered, and collaborative approach to decision-making; 
• The ability to navigate complexity, in part, through effective prioritization, delegation, and management of systems; 
• Knowledgeable about and proficient with the most current technology and digital tools for arts education and program management; 
• Experience training and managing a diverse team of faculty and staff, providing guidance and professional development opportunities in instructional strategies, use of technology, real-world applications, and hands-on teaching; 
• Ability to work with high levels of initiative and minimal levels of guidance; 
• A spirit of positivity, optimism, and “can-do” leadership.

This position announcement is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this job title and the education and skills required. This is not intended to be a complete list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills that are required or may be required in the future.

LHPS conducts background checks, including fingerprinting, and drug testing, and may use a third-party administrator. Background checks will be performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Lake Highland Preparatory School is an Equal Opportunity Employer.